
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
---------------------

'Beiyong Fleet' marked a proud and glorious 30 year (from 1860 to 1890) in 
modern Chinese naval history.

Purchased and built in Germany, 'Jun Yuan' and her sister ship 'Ding Yuan' 
became flagships of the 'Beiyong Fleet' in 1885. Their heavy armament and 
displacement made them top and most powerful vessels in Asia of the time.  

Sadly, despite the bravery and loyalty of it's naval crew, officers and 
commanders, as well as efforts of the 'father' of Beiyong Fleet - Beiyong/Foreign 
Affairs Minister Mr LI, Hung-chang, the Chinese navy was defeated in the decisive 
'Battle of Yellow Sea' in 1894 during the First Sino-Japanese War.  The defeat 
was indeed an inevitable result of insufficient funding and poor management 
caused by fierce political struggles among top level central government officials, 
including the 'Qing' Royal family, mainly between the pros and againsts 
of westernization.

'Jun Yuan' was seized by the Japanese and remained service in Japanese navy until 
she retired and was scrapped in 1912.  She had shared a naval victory of the 
famous Russo Japanese War in 1905.  Her bow anchor was subsequently returned to 
the Chinese after Second World War and is now being displayed in a museum in 
Beijing.

'Ding Yuan', her sistership, was sinked in a sea battle in 1894.

The 'Qing' monarchy was overthroned in the 1911 revolution led by Dr SUN, Yat-sen.


THE SHIP
--------

Builder          :  Vulcan of Stettin, Germany
Cost             :  6.2 million Marks
Launched         :  1882 Nov 28
Delivered        :  1885 Oct 10

Displacement     :  Net 7,144 tons
                    Gross 7,335 tons (full load)
                    Length - 300 ft
                    Span - 64 ft
                    Depth - 19.6 ft
                    Cruising speed - 15 knots

Steel armour     :  Main gun deck - 14"
                    Port/starboard - 12"
                    Bridge - 8"

Watertight       :  Approximately 200 rooms
compartment
     
Master engines   :  2 x 3 cylinder steam engines produced a total of 6,200 
                    horsepowers. Two propellers 

Electricity      :  3 generators produced a total of 70,000 watts electricity

Armament         :  Main      - 2 x twin-gun (12.2" each) turrets 
                                (port and starboard), hydraulic powered.

                    secondary - 2 x 6" guns (bow and stern)

	            others    - 8 x 37mm 'Gatling' machine guns
                           
                    torpedoes - 3 x 380cm torpedo tubes (21 torpedoes)
		              - 2 on board torpedoe boats (at stern)
                                (i.e. "Jun 1" and "Jun 2")  


